Air Conditioning in Sutherland Shire

Domestic

Waratah Air Conditioning can provide you with the best air conditioning system and advise to suit your need and budget. We are proud suppliers of all leading brands from Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin and more. We do an individual design for every customer to ensure the correct capacity and style is offered in our proposal. 

We provide in house quotes or over the phone estimates. You can drop in your plans or email them and we will do a full design and email back to you. We have over 30 years’ experience, you can rely on us to help you get it right first go.

 
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Overview

Here are some helpful topics to get you started and educated towards what system will suit you and your environment, and of course if you have further questions, just get in touch.

What is an Inverter?

Split Systems

Noise

Questions

Reverse Cycle

Ducted Systems

Winter Behaviours

 

An inverter is not a brand of an air conditioner - it's the term used to describe the style of technology that is behind the air-conditioning system.

Traditionally most air conditioners have a compressor (or motor) which is like the heart of the air conditioning system. Like the heart, the job of the compressor is to pump refrigerant around the air conditioner to allow either hot or cold air to be produced.

A non-inverter system can either pump refrigerant at full speed or stop. So when you first turn an air conditioner on, the compressor starts and begins to pump refrigerant until the desired temperature inside your premises is achieved. The compressor then stops. When the inside air temperature changes by around 1-2 degrees Celsius, the compressor will start again and the cycle goes on.

With an inverter compressor, the system starts slowly (using less electricity) and can vary its speed to achieve the desired room temperature. The compressor never actually stops which results in a more even room temperature being achieved and reduces the cost of running the system. One other benefit is that, by not starting and stopping the compressor, the nuisance of lights flicking in the house is eliminated.

The outdoor units are quieter so the benefits are all round. 

A modern alternative to the Room Air Conditioner is the Split System, which has become the most popular heating and cooling solution. These systems are split into two parts. A slimline wall, floor or ceiling mounted console is installed inside your home/office and is connected to the outdoor unit (condenser) by refrigeration piping and electrical wiring. With the separation of the two parts comes a whisper quiet operation that is suited especially to bedrooms, lounge rooms or office areas. The outdoor unit, which can be installed in a discreet outdoor location, has a high ‘start’ energy rating, meaning lower running costs.

Common Features

  • All Split systems can either be cooling or reverse cycle (heating and cooling)

  • Across the brands, sizes range from 2000 to 9000 watts (domestic) or( 0.75-3.5hp)

  • Three fan speeds plus automatic mode.

  • Accurate temperature control

  • Airflow direction - either manual or automatic control

  • Infra Red Remote Control.

  • Built-in 24 hour clock with timer control

Because of the diversity of sizes and types of split systems (ie wall, floor, ceiling) there are not many applications they don’t suit. The prices range from approximately $1000 to $3000 not including installation. For a no obligation free quote or any further information please don’t hesitate to contact us.

As noise rage joins the ranks of road rage and all the other rages, we are frequently being asked for the quietest air conditioning system. Generally, most air conditioners on the market have reduced the noise levels emitted. If you have studied the brochures in an effort to find out the quietest brand, you will have noticed two terminologies, Sound Power and Sound Pressure.

Sound Power can be defined as the amount of sound energy per unit of time produced by an air conditioner through mechanical vibration.

Sound Pressure is a measurement, which occurs as a result of sound energy leaving an air conditioner. As a result it causes sound waves in the surrounding area, which are emitted in all directions and are reflected by objects in their path. So fences and plants surrounding the air conditioner can absorb or reflect these sound waves.

The manufacturers include readings in their brochures but beware that the figures are taken in workshop conditions and to differing country standards. There are Japanese standards, European standards and Australian standards to name a few. So how do you really know what’s the quietest? It’s easy. Come to a showroom where we have a operational unit for your benefit. 

Included here is a table, which may help you with the noise levels. Keep in mind that generally people become irritated once noise exceeds 65 dB(A).

 

Sound Pressure dB(A)

WHAT IS THE BEST BRAND?

Everybody has a different opinion. The manufacturers that you see on our web site are companies with a proven track record over a long period of time in the industry.

You can visit the following suppliers websites to view their current products on offer:

Daikin  |  Mitsubishi Electrical

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WHO INSTALLS THE AIR CONDITIONER?

Only fully licensed and qualified trades people. Our qualified trades people and our 5 year guarantee is your assurance of professional service and installation. Waratah Air Conditioning also uses 'plain english' contracts so you can understand exactly what you are buying.

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IF I BUY THROUGH WARATAH AND I HAVE A PROBLEM – WHO DO I CALL?

The benefit of buying through an air conditioning specialist goes beyond sales and installation. At Waratah we service what we sell. Waratah Air is committed to customer service - that includes the support of our existing customers.

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HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO INSTALL?

A room air conditioner usually takes 2-3 hours to install and a split system 3-4 hours. A domestic ducted system can usually be installed in one day. Our installers leave your house the way they found it - any mess leaves with us!

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HOW DO I KNOW WHICH COMPANY TO TRUST?

One of the most important things to look for is that the company you are purchasing from is using qualified refrigeration & air conditioning trades people, along with certified electricians to manage the electrical. Waratah is fully authorised by the Australia Refrigeration Council and holds a current licence to install, service, diagnose & repair all air conditioning systems. At Waratah we are committed to employing qualified trades people who are legally certified and are specialists in their given field.

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REMEMBER ... $$$

Buying air conditioning systems is not like buying a Television. If it is too small it won’t cool your dwelling properly. If it is too large you will be wasting your money. No one likes to have something that doesn’t work properly, so be sure to use someone who specialises in air conditioning. Remember ... you only get one chance so don’t get caught buying on price alone.

 

WHY ARE THEY CALLED “REVERSE CYCLE”?

In the cooling mode, reverse cycle air conditioners (RCAC) move heat from inside a room to the outdoors. In the heating cycle this process is reversed.

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WHY ARE THEY SO EFFICIENT?

The reason why reverse cycle air conditioners are so efficient is that, unlike ordinary electric heaters, which convert electricity into heat, reverse cycle air conditioners do not create heat in winter, instead they extract the existing heat in the air outside your home and exchange it for the cold air inside, while in Summer they do the reverse. While every other form of heating uses at least as much energy as it produce as heat, reverse cycle air conditioning units produce 2.5 to 3 times more energy than they use. So not only does a RCAC unit help you save money on your energy bill, you are also helping the environment by using less energy as well as reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Heating Appliance Efficiency

(Typical)

Reverse Cycle

270%

Under Floor Heating (Electricity)

100%

Kerosene

90%

Natural Gas - unflued

90%

Natural Gas - flued

77%

Wood -airtight slow combustion stove

65%

Wood - open fire

10%

 

Reproduced from the Department of Primary Industries and Energy’s NetEnergy website.

Ducted systems are the ultimate in home comfort for the whole family. Ducted systems also have two parts and interconnecting piping and electrical. They come in many sizes to suit most installations. The indoor unit (fan coil) is placed within the roof cavity or under the floor, and this is piped to the outdoor unit (condensing unit). Ductwork carries the air from the indoor unit to outlets in each room.

Ducted air conditioning can be single storey or multi level dwellings, however modifications can be made to accommodate the duct in multi level area. Ducted systems have what is known as zoning which means that at any given time you can have specific outlets working or switched off to save on running costs. Waratah specialise in the sale and installation of ducted systems.

Most larger ducted systems require 3-phase power, however some brands have up to a 17kw capacity on single-phase power. There are various types of grills (outlets) used in ducted systems, ranging from floor to wall and ceiling grills used for different applications.

The prices of ducted systems vary from house to house starting from $5000 upwards. For a no obligation free quote or any further information please don’t hesitate to contact us.

WHY IN WINTER WHEN I TURN MY AIR CONDITIONER ON IN HEATING MODE, IT DOESN’T ALWAYS START STRAIGHT AWAY?

HOT START SYSTEM (Heat Pump Models Only)

To prevent a cold blast of air while the air conditioner turns on in the heating mode, the indoor unit incorporates a computer hot start system.

The indoor unit microprocessor monitors the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger and operates the indoor fan at a speed lower than the normal low until the heat exchanger temperature reaches a target temperature. When this target is reached, the fan switches from extra low to normal low.

The air conditioner will then operate at normal low until a second higher target temperature is reached at which point the fan will switch to selected speed. This hot start feature is also utilised after defrost and during the heating cycle when the compressor switches back on after the room temperature has fallen more than 1°C below the selected temperature.

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SOMETIMES IN WINTER WHEN I HAVE MY AIR CONDITIONER OPERATING IN HEATING MODE, IT STOPS BLOWING WARM AIR FOR A PERIOD AND THEN STARTS AGAIN?

When an air conditioner is in heating mode, its heat pump is extracting heat from the outside and transferring that air into your home to keep it warm. When the outside ambient temperature goes to 0 or lower degrees, the moisture from the air freezes on the heat exchange on the air conditioner while the unit’s fan continues to blow air across it. The deice or defrost mode is that mode the system enters into when it automatically detects that ice has started to form on the unit. It then starts fixing it.

You never want to stop the unit from doing this until the defrost cycle has ended. If it is stopped and the unit is restarted right away it could cause damage to the unit if not cause it to operate inefficiently.

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WHY MUST MY AC PERFORM A DEFROSTING?

When ice builds up on the external heat exchange, the air flow is reduced. This causes the unit to experience an inefficient performance which can sometimes be drastic. In extreme cases, stopping the cycle can damage the outdoor unit.

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HOW DO I KNOW MY UNIT IS IN DEFROST MODE?

You will notice that the unit stops heating indoors and outdoors, the fan will have stopped while the compressor continues to run. You will also notice a puddle of water around or under the unit outside.

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THINGS TO EXPECT:

Your system may begin to make a whooshing-type of sound just as the fan stops inside. That is your clue that the system is cycling off and entering into de-ice or defrost mode.

You might also see what you could mistake for being smoke come from the unit outside. This is just steam and it is a common occurrence when the unit is in defrost mode on a cold day. The outdoor unit might also look white. This is just frost and will disappear when the unit resumes normal operation.